Excerpt from Ch 22 Faramir and Bryn
by Mirime ceea
Summary: This is a second out take from my story "No Secrets Between Us," which is about Faramir and Eowyn. This is a short conversation between Faramir and one of the women from Rohan who knows Eowyn best. You might enjoy this more if you read my story first.


A/N: I am not JRRTolkien. I do not want to make any profit from this story.

.

* * *

.

Faramir was absorbed in his plans. His quill flashed across the white of the page, sometimes writing, sometimes sketching, but barely keeping up with his flow of thoughts. He wanted to make his princedom as perfect as he could, and so when he had time he let his mind run with plans of where to build towns, potential resources and, of course, his future home with Eowyn. As a page was filled, he put it with other corresponding pages on the bench or ground near where he sat in the garden. These he weighed down with rocks so that the Rohirric breeze wouldn't steal his ideas.

He noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that a couple of servants had come out and were tending to the garden. But he only stopped to notice them when one recognizable figure came to care for the flowers near where he sat. "Mistress Bryn," he greeted with a smile, though surprised, "would you mind telling me what your actual post is here? Yesterday you were in the kitchens, today you are a gardener. I thought you ran the household, at least that's how the Lady Eowyn described you."

Bryn laughed, though her hands kept at their work. "The Lady Eowyn lied to you then. _She_ runs the household as the Lady of the House. I am the housekeeper. I help her keep track of which staff is where, and what needs to be done for up keep, but it is she who has the final say on everything, and then I fill in to accomplish what needs to be done."

"She speaks of you fondly," Faramir put down his quill and watched her work. "She thinks of you as a mother."

Her hands stilled for a second, and then kept on. "Then she thinks too highly of me. Since the poor Queen died after Theodred's birth, and then beautiful Theodwyn wasted away I was asked to look after the three children – though Theodred was a man by the time Theodwyn died. But it was not to me that the children ran if they were scared or hurt – it was to Theoden King. He was father and mother to them, especially to Eowyn, who was so young and looked so much like her mother. Of course there were some things that Eowyn needed to learn that I taught her, but Theoden King was their center." Her eyes narrowed and her hands shook with rage. "Until that man came and ripped them apart."

"Wormtongue." Faramir spat the name out.

"I let her down. I failed her when she needed a mother, or even support, the most." Bryn stopped her work and caught Faramir's gaze. "You think ill of us for not noticing or helping, and I agree with you completely. I will never forgive myself." She turned back the plants. "Eowyn was raised by warriors, she never showed any sign of what was truly happening. She stayed in control of the house and limited any… incidents."

"That's not the story she told me."

Bryn glanced at him sharply. "What was her story then?" She shook her head. "No, no, I do not want you to tell me. If she wants to tell me, she will." She moved to the next flowerbed. "She rearranged the schedules."

"What?"

"There are schedules that have been held here since the dawn of time, or so it seems. The staff who ran errands, delivered messages, kept the fire going, at night used to be women, until about a year ago. Eowyn rearranged just about every schedule at Meduseld, including hers, to make sure that the women at night went out in groups of three and were accompanied by a house guard. She kept them safe. Then she opened her room the single women servants and put a lock on her door to keep them from being harassed at night." Bryn's eyes were far away. "All this she did with out asking for help, with out telling anyone of her needs. But it was a losing battle from the start. Each time she solved a problem a new liberty of hers, or of us house servants was taken away. All the advisors who stood for her and for Rohan were dismissed." Bryn's face flushed with anger. "Cowards. Each and every one of them."

Faramir frowned. "How were they cowards if they defended her?"

"They defended her at no risk to themselves. If they spoke up they were sent away true, but even after their dismissal no message went to Theodred or Eomer to tell them the truth. And why did they not help her once they were dismissed?" Bryn spat out. "Because they were too concerned with the safety of their own families to worry about what was happening to Eowyn. It was their job to protect her and Rohan at all times no matter the cost to themselves. None of them told Theodred or Eomer the truth of what was happening here, shame to us all. And then to come back here after the war as if they had a right to be amongst the honorable, and then to judge Eowyn for 'deserting her people.'" Bryn's hands shook with anger. "They all should be cast out."

Faramir was silent. It was not his place to share secrets from counsel meetings, and the news of their dismissal would be heard soon enough. "Do you think Eowyn would be happy in Gondor?" He asked, changing the topic to another of his burning questions.

"I do not know Gondor," Bryn answered honestly. "I cannot say. But, she is happier with you here, and more at peace. She needs to recover and put the ghosts of this place behind her, but once she has I do not think that she will want to linger long. Rohan stopped being her home almost a year ago. I pray that she will remember Rohan as the home of her childhood and love Gondor with all that she has to offer."

"She wants you to come with her. Will you join us in Gondor?"

"It is my hope to, though there are many events that must happen before I'm able to leave Meduseld. Perhaps with in a year or two." Bryn's mouth twisted. "I'd like to see Eomer married and his wife capable to run Edoras with out anyone's help before I leave. There is so much riding on him now; he will never have the freedom that he had before."

"He's lucky to have your loyalty." Faramir reflected.

"That is something that he will never loose from any of his people. He will lead us well, of that I am sure," She trailed off as a woman was walking quickly towards them calling out her name. Bryn stood up and the woman spoke rapidly to her in Rohirric, and Bryn responded in kind. "It seems that I'm needed elsewhere," She told Faramir. "Eowyn is due back at any minute, and I know she'll want to see you before tonight."

"What happens tonight?" Faramir asked, but Bryn was already walking away and didn't respond.

.

* * *

.

A/N: Thank you for reading!


End file.
